Half to william a



(No Model.)

0. WATSON. BOX OPENING HATGHET.

No. 431,199. Patented July 1, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ONEALL W'ATSON, OF ORAl/VFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOl/VILLIAM A. FOWVLER, OF SAME PLACE.

BOX-OPENING HATCHET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,199Jdated July 1,1890,

Application filed May 24, 1889- Scrial No. 311,990- (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ()NEALL lVATsON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Box-Opening Hatchet, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a combination-tool especially adapted foruse in opening boxes and crates; and among the objects in View are toprovide a cheap and convenient hand-tool for the purpose above describedso constructed as to obviate the necessity of forcible blows, soarranged as to provide a powerful leverage, and which is adapted for useas a cutting-tool or hammer, and a nail claw so arranged as not torequire a change from one hand to the other, that will not mar theboards, and one in which the handle, besides its other functions, willserve the purpose of a screw-driver.

The invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafterspecified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are perspectives of a toolconstructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown inoperative position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective of the head. Fig.4 is a transverse sect-ion of the same, the section be ing taken throughthe blade.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

The head consists of a central thickened body portion 1, which isprovided with an eye 2 .for the reception of a suitable handle 3. At oneside of the handle-eye 2 the head is reduced to form adiagonally-arranged cutting-blade 4, said blade being arranged at anangle to the plane of the head, and therefore also to the handle 3 andits eye 2, and crossing the longitudinal axis of the latter between theends of the same.

The opposite end of the head 1 is projected beyond the opening 2 to forma reduced cylindrical hammer end 5, said end being more than of ordinarylength and adapted to serve as a supplemental handle or hand-grip for apurpose hereinafter apparent. Upon the up per face of the head 1andprojecting slightly above the same, and in a lateral relativedirection, is formed a nail-claw 6, the rear end of which embraces theopening 2 formed in the head.

Upon the under surface of the head 1,and formed integral with the said.head and encircling the opening 2, is a collar 7, one side of which isprojected beyond the surface or side of the head, as at- 8, to form afulcrum, said fulcrum occurring at that side of the head opposite, uponwhich is located the bearing-surface is provided.

The manner of handling the hereindescribed tool in the opening of boxesis as follows: By grasping the hammer portion with the right hand andthe handle 3 with the left and placing the cutting-edge against thecrevice or opening intermediate the boards and pressing firmly with theright hand on the hammer part and working at the same time the handleproper, the edge or blade 4 will be gradually inserted within theslightest open ing. Then, by holding in place the head through themedium of the right hand and prying down upon the handle, the projection8 upon the collar 7 acts as a convenient fulcrum, the outer side as apurchase, and the handle as a lever, and in this manner the board may beraised; and, by reason of the width of the blade 4, opposite edges oftwo boards may be simultaneously started and raised, and this withoutsplitting the same. After the first board is raised, hold the handleperpendicular, the cutting-edge down and from you, drop thehatchet-blade entirely under the end of the lid at the left side, andplace the small projecting fulcrum on side of box and pull back on thehandle, which again acts as a lever. When lids are slightly raised orstarted, strike the board sharply near the nail ends with the hammer end5, which causes the nail-headto rise sufficiently to be caught by theclaw and removed. If desired, in lieu of the metal handle described, anordinary wooden handle may be employed.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is- 1. Theherein-described tool-head, having a central handle-receiving eye andcomprising at one side of its eye a blade, at the opposite side ahammer, and intermediate the two at one side a claw, and opposite theclaw a fulcrum projecting therefrom, substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described tool-head, comprising a central thickened bodyportion, perforated to receive a handle, and at its lower surface and atone side provided with a laterally-projecting fulcrum, and upon itsupper surface at its upper opposite lateral side with a nail-claw, andat one longitudinal side with a diagonally-disposed blade, and at itsopposite side with a hammer adapted to serve as a supplemental handlefor. the blade, substantially as specified.

3. The herein-described combination-tool, consisting of the head1,having the laterallyopposite claw 6, collar 7, and lug 8, and theintermediate eye 2, having the handle 3, terminating in the screw-driver9, and the blade a, arranged at an obtuse angle to the handle and at onelongitudinal side thereof, and the extended hammer portion 5 at theopposite longitudinal side, substantially as specified.

4. The tool-head provided with a handlereceiving eye, and terminating atone end in a blade the cutting-edge of which is disposed at an angle toand crosses the longitudinal axis of the eye between the ends of saideye, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

oNEALL WATSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN 1W1. SCHULTZ, J AS. T. WALLACE.

